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Look! My first pop video! This was all filmed by me and Matthew from Song, By Toad, it was great fun to do and I’m really chuffed with how it’s turned out. The song is the title track from The Leg‘s new album, An Eagle To Saturn, which you can buy now from Song, By Toad Records, and buy it now you should.

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Just happened to be passing through Anstruther on the weekend and found a few locals enjoying a bit of live music in the Ship. Turns out the entertainment was being provided by none other than local troubadour King Creosote, with full band in tow, having a bit of a warm-up ready for a busy summer festival season. Lucky to stumble across that really, so I thought I’d get a few snaps in…

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April 1st 2012 saw the proposed amendment to the Civic Government Act, which would mean that “free entry to public entertainment events would require to be licensed“,pass into law. In response an esteemed group of local musicians organised precisely the sort of event that would be, from that date, illegal under the act. Unfortunately I got there a bit late to catch eagleowl‘s opening set, but I did see Fuzzystar, Jamie from Broken Records, Neil from Meursault and Wounded Knee. A few dozen enthusiastic punters filled Leith’s Clock Caféto spend a beautifully sunny spring afternoon by The Shore as desperate outlaws; and to join some of Edinburgh’s finest musicians in protesting against this hopelessly misguided and potentially disastrous new law. And it must be said we all had a fine old time sticking it to the man.

This session took place in the autumn of 1937, as I recall. We’d just taken delivery of a shiny new motor carriage called a Morris Eight and we all headed off for a run to the seaside before returning to Toad Towers to record this onto wax cylinders which were then to be broadcast on the wireless. Well, perhaps it wasn’t that long ago – but it was certainly quite a while. You can read Matthew making his own excuses and watch the videos over on Toad, but it was still a fantastic day hanging out with the Canaveral Kids; and that huge pan of chili was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

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The infamous Paul Vickers & The Leg made a rare appearance in the spooky surroundings of Mary King’s Closein the catacombs under Edinburgh’s old town. They played unamplified, relying instead on the natural echoing effects of the ancient stone chamber 30-odd of us were seated in to add volume to their sound. It was, typically, a wild, bewildering and unhinged performance, and brilliant too.

The Merriment Makers boutique is running all this weekend, up until Sunday 4th December. It’s full of brilliant hand made craftiness of all sorts, artworks, clothes, jewellery etc. and there’s a record shop too full of lots of treats from the leading local record labels. You really should get along!